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Once Upon a High

Once Upon a High, the mutual project of the National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions (OPAI) and MOME Techlab  is developing a unique - even in international standards - drug prevention application and website targeting the youth, which draws attention to the importance of prevention in a novel way i.e. using cartoons.

 
The aim of the project is to develop a mobile app and a website which engage the interest of the youth and promote drug prevention and which also give practical advice to parents where to find specialists and civil helpers.
 
                        
 
 
 
The application approaches the topic from six different aspects, it addresses youngsters with six different methods: with interactive cartoons, a quiz, the introduction of psychoactive drugs and their ill effects, a roleplay game and the list of helping centres. The mobile application unites the experience of usual web education and computer games.
 
Compared to traditional school prevention programmes based on personal contact the advantage of the application is that it is not limited to certain occasions, the app provides a 'dialogue' for youngsters anywhere, anytime and gives relevant feedbacks in given situations. The applied genres - cartoons, videos and animation - are attractive to the youth by their nature. Moreover, the application provides anonimity for its users.  Based on surveys researching the spread of mobile devices it can be said that a growing number of young people - regardless of their social status - already possess appropriate devices for the application. 
 
In order to develop a successful application and website we have established a co-design group, which means that we design the different modules with the participation of a focus group representing the will be users. The project is also unique even in international standards in the respect that it provides help not only for youngsters but also for parents.
 
National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions (OPAI) Drug Outpatient and Prevention Centre is in charge of  providing the professional background of the programme. The team consists of  Máté Kapitány-Fövény Phd., psychologist: founder of the project, Tünde Szabó, social worker, head nurse of the drug outpatient and prevention centre, Kinga Fodor, psychologist, doctoral student, Zsuzsanna  Winter Dr., psychiatrist, head physician, Péter Rigó Dr., psychiatrist, head physician.
 
MOME TechLab (Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest) is responsible for the development of the mobile app and the website. TechLab is an open, horizontal creative space, where digital technologies are utilized within the framework of interdisciplinary projects serving novel, socially relevant goals incorporating social sciences, art, IT knowledge and special academic content. The members of the MOME TechLab team: Zsófia Ruttkay PhD., founder and leader of the lab, Dániel Karasz, programmer of the lab, Mónika Gyuró, graphic designer and Klára Berczi, project manager.
 
Strategic Scope Communications is responsible for the PR activity of the project.  Once Upon a High is realized within the framework of the grant provided by the National Institute for Family, Youth and Population Policy  from September 2015 to March 2016.
 
 
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